


The Real MVP

by echoicdreamscape



Series: Young and Impressionable [3]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-05-02 23:51:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5268572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoicdreamscape/pseuds/echoicdreamscape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sixth grade Team Machine plays a soccer game against Team Samaritan during gym. What could go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Real MVP

**Author's Note:**

> All right, so I don't have any experience writing action, especially sports action...which is why I glossed over it completely.

“All right guys, line up in a single file line to go to gym,” Mr. Nolan ordered. Shaw turned her head from where she was laying on the ground to glance at her sixth grade home room teacher and sighed, turning back to Root. The two had been playing Betrayal (in Shaw’s mind)/Safekeeping (in Root’s mind) during lunch and things were about to get interesting before their teacher had interrupted. Shaw smoothly rose to her feet and offered a hand to Root, who was still kneeling with the plastic needle in her hand. 

The two got in line, Root first, behind Harold and John. Root eavesdropped on their conversation, her stomach dropping when she heard that today was soccer day. John’s vows to protect Harold from any balls hitting his glasses fell on Root’s deaf ears as she ran over situations in her head. Root was nowhere near athletic and always made a fool of herself when it came to sports. Sometimes she could avoid embarrassment by playing an outside position, but soccer emphasized importance on all the positions. 

As the line of students headed toward the gym, Shaw noticed Root’s shoulders tensing as the girl in front of her ruminated about all the mishaps that could occur during the game. Shaw touched Root’s shoulder and gave her a level stare when Root turned around. “Nothing bad’s going to happen,” she tried to placate. Root gave her a shaky smile that didn’t reach her eyes and swiveled around, jogging to catch up to the rest of the line. Shaw let out another sigh.

* * *

The game had started friendly enough at the beginning. Mr. Nolan’s class was playing Mr. Greer’s class and the two had come up with team names at the beginning. Shaw rolled her eyes at “The Machine,” but there was nothing she could do about it. “At least it sounds better than _Samaritan_ ,” she muttered under her breath.

John, as team captain, delegated the positions. “I’m going to be center mid,” he said, “Shaw will be forward, Lionel is goalie, Harold is left mid, Grice is center back, Brooks is left back, Joss is right mid, and Root is right back.” Root shifted uncomfortably, looking at the ground.

John approached her before the whistle blew. “It’s okay, Root,” he said gently, “no one cares about winning. Just run around and we’ll be fine.” Root scratched the back of her head.

On the other side of the gym, team Samaritan was thinking differently. Martine ordered her teammates into a line. “Let’s make this clear,” she commanded, “we _will_ win. All we need is for me to be forward and Lambert, center mid. The rest of you file into place.”

Team Samartian’s players arranged themselves quietly without complaint. If one of them spoke up Martine would have kicked them out and replaced them just as easily.

* * *

Martine gasped as her back hit the brick wall. Spitting onto the ground, she glared at the shorter girl in front of her.

“What was that for, Shaw? You already got your revenge by spreading those rumors about me and Lambert,” she sneered.

Shaw clenched her jaw, tightening her fists. Images of Root being kneed in the stomach by Martine ran across her mind. Sure, Martine had been forbidden to play again, but that wasn’t enough. _Who schedules gym right after lunch anyway,_ Shaw angrily thought. The stench of Root’s vomit remained on her overly scrubbed hands even two hours after she had washed them.

“You stay away from her,” she growled.

“It did take a while, but I broke down your little _girlfriend_ eventually,” Martine smirked.

Shaw’s face remained expressionless as she hauled Martine over her shoulder and slammed her onto the ground.

* * *

“So tell me again how Miss Rousseau ended up like this,” Dr. Carmichael slowly said, looking over his clipboard, “She’s going to be in the hospital for a week.” He looked up at the scowling girl sitting across from him.

“She hurt my friend and then she tripped over me outside,” Shaw deadpanned.

“Mmm, I see,” replied Dr. Carmichael, “I don’t think you’re telling the truth, Miss Shaw. Let’s talk about the truth.”

Shaw gave him an exasperated stare.

* * *

“Are you really suspended for a week?” Root jogged to catch up with Shaw as she walked back to her house.

“Don’t you have chess club?” Shaw replied without looking back at the other girl.

“Yes, but I heard you got into trouble. Is it true?” Root sounded worried.

“Mhmm.”

Root grabbed Shaw’s arm to spin her around. “What did you do this time?”

“Martine picked a fight with me and I beat her ass,” Shaw replied.

Root scrunched up her nose. “But we lost, Shaw. Why would she want to fight?”

Shaw blinked and turned back around, picking up her pace.

Root stretched out her hand and began a sprint.

“Sam, wait!”

“I’m not-“

“Just stop!” 

Grimacing to herself, Shaw turned around and rolled her eyes.

Root gave her a glare. Well the best glare she could direct at her best friend _who was still taller than her_. “You don’t have to get revenge for me, Sam. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

Shaw punched her on the shoulder. “I didn’t do this for you, shorty.” Root gasped in indignation. “Any chance to beat up that bitch is a good one.”

Root raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. 

“Whatever you say.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've actually been writing this fic since May but I haven't been able to get down what I wanted. Today said screw it and published what I had. It's just a way to get myself back into the game. The next one will definitely be more cohesive.
> 
> Also, I've completely run out of ideas for this series so if you have anything you want to see, I'd greatly appreciate some prompts!


End file.
